1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electric devices including electric vehicles and more particularly to a steering control and universal charger removably received within a socket in a dual motor vehicle. The universal charger may be utilized in a variety of electric devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal mobility vehicles may be characterized as either scooter type personal mobility vehicles or power wheelchair (power chair) type personal mobility vehicles. Each of the scooter type personal mobility vehicles and the power chair type personal mobility vehicles have certain advantages and disadvantages.
A scooter type personal mobility vehicle typically comprises an elongated frame having front single or plural steering wheels and plural rear drive wheels. The front single or plural steering wheels are pivotably mounted on the front portion of the elongated frame. A handlebar is provided for pivoting the front single or plural steering wheels for steering the personal mobility vehicle.
The plural rear wheels are mounted on independent axially aligned shafts driven by a single electric motor though a differential gearbox. The electric motor is controlled by an electronic controller and a speed, braking and forward/reverse engager located on the handlebar of the scooter. The scooter type personal mobility vehicle is well suited for unconfined areas such as outside use due to the superior ride of the elongated wheelbase of the scooter. The elongated wheelbase provides more stability and a better ride for the scooter type personal mobility vehicle.
A power chair type personal mobility vehicle typically comprises a short frame having plural drive wheels and plural caster wheels. The plural drive wheels may be located in the front, center or the rear drive of the power chair type personal mobility vehicle. Plural caster wheels complement the plural drive wheels of the power chair type personal mobility vehicle.
The plural drive wheels are independently driven by plural electric motors. Each of the plural electric motors is independently controlled by a dual motor controller for independently driving the plural electric motors.
Typically, a joystick is mounted on an armrest of a power chair type personal mobility vehicle for controlling the first and second drive motors. The joystick operates both the steering as well as the speed, braking and forward/reverse movements of the power chair. The steering of the power chair is accomplished by a differential in speed between the plural independently driven electric motors including the reverse rotation of one of the electric motors relative to the other of the electric motors to turn the power chair. The power chair type personal mobility vehicle is well suited for confined areas such as inside use due to the short frame and the superior turning radius of the plural independently driven electric motors. The short wheelbase and the ability to reverse one motor relative to the other motor provides a reduced turning radius for the personal mobility vehicle for negotiating smaller confined spaces indoors.
The basic commands for driving both types of personal mobility vehicles are forward, backward; turn left or turn right; faster or slower; and stop. Unfortunately, the manipulation of a joystick of a power chair to control the multiple functions of steering, propulsion and braking is not intuitive or obvious to a new user or a cognitively impaired user. Many new users find it difficult to operate a power chair type personal mobility vehicle due to the lack of prior experience using a single interface joystick device that combines steering, turning, speed, braking and forward/reverse controls. In contrast, the manipulation of the handlebar in a scooter type personal mobility vehicle with independent drive controls is intuitively obvious to a new user. The intuitively obviousness is due to past experience operating tricycles, bicycles and automobiles with independent steering and drive controls.
Furthermore, most power chairs and mobility scooters come with a small high frequency stand alone (off board) battery charger with output ratings from 1.5 to 6.0 amperes depending upon the size of the batteries installed on the vehicle. Approximately ninety percent (90%) of mobility vehicles are provided with a small lightweight high frequency battery charger kept off board of the devices. Millions of these mobility enhancing vehicles are used by the elderly and people with disabilities all over the world.
Charging the batteries of these vehicles is critical to maintain the function of the mobility vehicle and allow people to perform their daily activities utilizing the mobility vehicle. Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Rehabilitation Professionals and other Medical Professionals require patients who live alone to demonstrably prove the patients are able to charge the batteries of electric vehicles prior to authorizing the mobility device for reimbursement or purchase by Medicare, Private Insurers and the Veterans Administration.
Successfully plugging in a small one-half inch round plug of a battery charger into a round socket located on a vertical wall on a joystick hand control on a power chair or on the battery box or plastic shroud of a mobility scooter may be difficult or impossible for most people with disabilities. Consequently, conscientious medical professionals do not authorize acquisition of these powered mobility vehicles for these disabled patients. Unfortunately, these immobile patients are often placed in a Nursing Home at great financial and emotional costs to the individual, simply because the immobile patients are unable to insert a battery charger power plug into a corresponding socket.
In my invention set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,634 filed Jul. 24, 2009, I disclose an electronic steering assembly for a dual motor vehicle having a handlebar rotatably mounted relative to a base for steering the dual motor vehicle through the rotational movement of the handlebar.
It is an object of the present invention to improve upon my prior invention set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,634 by providing a movable hand control receivable at various locations of the motor vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to an improved electrical connector which is easy for physically impaired persons to connect.
Another object of the invention is to provide a moveable steering control that is removably received within a socket in a dual motor vehicle for steering the dual motor vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a universal charger that is removably received within a socket in a dual motor vehicle for charging the dual motor vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a moveable steering control that is removably received within one of a plurality of sockets located about a dual motor vehicle for steering the dual motor vehicle from various locations about a dual motor vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a movable steering control incorporating an independent speed and forward-reverse controls that separates the physical movements necessary to steer the dual motor vehicle from the physical movements necessary to control the speed and forward-reverse control of the dual motor vehicle so the operation of the dual motor vehicle is intuitively obvious to a new user or a cognitively impaired user.
Another object of the invention is to provide a movable hand control that is applicable to either a power chair type personal mobility vehicle or a scooter type personal mobility vehicle.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.